Singing and rhyming

Singing and rhyming is another family literacy activity that parents model. All but one respondent said they were engaged in passive modeling, such as singing at home or while driving, or active modeling such as singing to or with their children. A few parents indicated their children were musical and were enrolled in music lessons or spent a lot of time listening to music. One person said her 14 year old daughter “writes songs all the time.” Another said she is in a choir so she practices singing at home but tries not to sing around her teenage daughter “because she doesn’t like it.”

Table 32 includes sample comments about singing and rhyming modeling behavior.

Table 32. Singing and rhyming behavior
Singing and rhyming behavior Number of
responses		 Occupation Comments
Parents sing and/or rhyme with or to their children 21 0 n=5
A n=5
B n=5
C n=5
D n=1		 We sing and play the guitar together once every two weeks.
He hears me singing a lot and we sing together when I’m driving.